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Making a spot for the start of this build HMS York heavy cruiser got the kit for a bargain at the last show Bolton I managed to get to before everything fell apart. 😷 Since then I have acquired a few extras ( The BIG BOY'S came around honest ) to go with it mostly for her sister ship Exeter but sure I can make them fit and very inspired by @Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies and @robgizlu builds I will be attempting the same camouflage as the box art a bit like Rob's HMS Berwick build light grey and dark grey 507C and 507B I think I have that right. And there should be another parcel on it's way soon to help add a bit more. Stay Safe beefy

As I am near to finishing my detour build of a 'wingy thing' here if you're interested. At the end of the T23 Frigate build, I asked a 'What should I build next?', so here I am. I'll build both T42 batch 2 & 3 destroyers using the appropriate Dragon kits in 1/700. The T42 Batch 2. Unfortunately this boxing doesn't come with any PE, so... I had to acquire WEM PE from Atlantic Models. T42 Batch 3 boxing with PE. Stuart

Well New Year and a New build White Ensign Models 1/350 scale Castle Class Corvette I will be building as Portchester Castle as she was built on the Tyne at Swan Hunters. I got this kit second hand about 5 years ago it even has a few extras in the box which should come in handy. I have also be given some very nice reference material from @socjo1 Thanks again Just got the lower and upper hull together and been working on getting the filler smoothed over ready for priming but will attempt to add the hull plate lines we will see. Bridge and other fittings just dry fit for now. Some of the extras I found in the box very comprehensive PE sheet Will be painting her same as the box top art work also using a short cut to @andrewa excellent build of the same model great sea scape but mine will not be so dramatic. Stay Safe beefy

Hello Everyone, I decided to join this GB with this 1/350 kit from Trumpeter. With all those aviation topics I thought the maritime section needs some representation 😉 Born in 1990 I had some problems finding a suitable kit in my stash but settled on a Burke Class. As shown in the pictures, the kit does not come with other options then building DDG-51 wich started construction in 88, launched in 89 and started service in 91 so I asked Wikipedia and found that USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53) started construction in 1990! Now I only need to find some suitable decals... my plan is to use the spare numbers from my DDG-92 Mommsen kit but if anyone knows some decent AM decals for modern USN Destroyers I would be grateful. I also have the WEM PE set for flight 1 Burke class but as it turns out the set was designed for the Panda kit not the Trumpeter kit. I still think I can use at least some of the additional PE. last photo shows all parts laid out. I don’t think I’ll be able to start on Saturday but Monday should be fine. I am currently blessed with a lot of free time until I have to embark my vessel in early September so this should be a rather quick build, well it has to be😬 cheers Konrad

Starting another build now I have a clear slipway after Abercrombie is done. HMS Eskimo a tribal class destroyer built on the Tyne now this kit has a few issues so i will attempt to correct them. I will be using the WEM Tribal PE set and also the ships boat set from WEM and the North Star 4 barrel pom-pom but first I have to re-shape the shear on the Bow and re-locate the hawser pipes for the anchors As you can see the bow shear on the kit is flat this needs to be raised by 3mm back to about the breakwater It should look like this as with the Atlantic Models HMS Scorpion kit but why do all this work So I can build up my skills with the PE and all the other stuff I do not want to make a mess of an expensive resin kit so this is another practice build and the plastic kit was only £20 So will start to pack out the rise in the shear with various size plastic rods then fill in the gaps and hawser holes Wish me luck beefy

Hi all, Here's my latest completion, Trumpeter's 1/700 kit of the Frunze with some of the WEM etch for the type. Paints are WEM Russian Northern Fleet Grey and Deck Red with Humbrol for the rest. Like the Ki-67 "Peggy" I posted in the Aircraft RFI section, I've had this kit in the stash for ages (released in 2003/04) but never made much headway with it. I actually built the kit as a side project to the RNZAF Dauntless I posted back in March, but it's taken this long to get the paint work done! Comments welcome! Mike.

Here's my last completion for 2014, Trumpeter's 1/700 scale model of the HMS Barham modified to represent the ship at the time of the Battle of Cape Matapan. Colourcoats used for the AP507B and AP507C camouflage pattern with Teak and AP507A used for the decks and the RN White for the stripe on the mainmast and blast bags. WEM's etch for the kit was also used, although I substituted Quad Pom Poms for the Octuples on the bridge structure using photos as reference. The modifications to change from as sunk to Matapan condition mainly consisted of changing the platform on "B" turret to have an UP projector instead of the quad '50 and leaving off the forward AA platform that was also mounted on "B" turret as well as the one on "Y" turret. The Walrus was painted using Humbrol enamels and actually has the countershading on the lower wing as per the biplane version of the Temperate Sea Scheme. The roundels were sourced from Tamiya's 1/700 Repulse as the kit supplied ones were too big (1/350?) and the wrong style. Before painting: Walrus: After painting: As always, comments and criticism welcome! Mike.

Hello Britmodellers here are pictures from my current build on my bench ( or better one of them) Its Trumpeters H.M.S Hood in 1/350 scale. Its my first attempt to add more details on a 1/350 warship. The kit was started right after i got it in my LHS, as an intended oob build, like my other ships i had at that time. While building her ( that was in 2007 or 08 ) i discovered modelling sites like Modelwarships.com or websites about the real Hood, learning about the wrong main gun turrets and the posted ships had so much more details. After i became unhappy with my idea it quickly stalled. Filling and sanding the seam running around Hood hull didn t helped either. Some month back, i decided to give this one a second go, with some more budged and some more skill, i ordered an photo etched set from Eduard, gun turrets in resin from WEM, just before they went out of business, and a detail set from Trumpeter with beautiful turned brass gun barrels. Adding PE stuff proved difficult and progress was slow, a bit later i gor me a self adhesive wooden deck from Pontos and my Hood project was running well until live stopped this in summer 2015. ( incl. two BM Group Builds ) Now i have some days of until the new year and Hood is back from the mothballs.

HMS Scorpion Atlantic Models 1:350 HMS Scorpion was an S-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, the eleventh of her name, commissioned on 11 May 1943. Initially she was to be named Sentinel, but this was changed following the loss of the Dragonfly-class river gunboat Scorpion in the Bangka Strait in February 1942. Scorpion joined the 23rd Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow on 11 May 1943 and was deployed on patrol in the North-western Approaches. On 20 October she joined an escort group of nine destroyers, a Norwegian corvette and two minesweepers which sailed to the Kola Inlet as part of Operation FR, tasked to bring back merchant ships that had been waiting in Russian ports over the summer while the Arctic Convoys were suspended. Covered by dense fog, convoy RA54A arrived safely in Loch Ewe on 14 November, while the destroyer flotilla turned around to escort Convoy JW 54B to Archangel. She returned to Scapa Flow, but was out again on 10 December to screen the battleship Duke of York and cruiser Jamaica which had been ordered to sea to cover Convoy JW 55A. The Kriegsmarine did not emerge and so she sailed with the battleship all the way through to the Kola Inlet, an unusual and risky move that surprised the Russians. Scorpion covered Duke of York as she returned west to refuel in Akureyri in Iceland on 21 December 1943. The Home Fleet left Iceland on 23 December to cover Convoy RA 55A and Convoy JW 55A, alerted of German intentions to intercept one of the convoys by Ultra intelligence. On 26 December the German battleship Scharnhorst, escorted by five destroyers, attempted to attack the ships of Convoy JW 55A, but were driven away by Admiral Burnett's three light cruisers and then cut off by Admiral Fraser's force. During the action Duke of York hit Scharnhorst's starboard boiler room with a 14 inch shell, slowing her briefly to 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) as she attempted to evade the British fleet. This provided the destroyers with an opportunity to attack with torpedoes. Closing from astern, Saumarez and Savage fired star-shell, blinding the Germans to the approach of Scorpion and the Norwegian Stord on the starboard side of the battleship. The two destroyers launched 16 torpedoes, scoring one hit, and driving Scharnhorst into firing range of Saumarez and Savage, which scored two more hits. This crippled the German ship and allowed the slower Duke of York to catch up and sink her. After the battle Scorpion picked up 30 survivors and sailed on to the Kola Inlet, arriving there on 27 December. She returned to Scapa Flow with the rest of the fleet on New Year's Eve. In March 1944 Scorpion was assigned to the "Ocean Escort" force for Convoy JW 58, one of the largest Arctic convoys of the war. All ships arrived safely and Scorpion returned with Convoy RA 58. Scorpion was then assigned to Force S, alongside several other S-class destroyers, part of the Normandy invasion fleet. During May she took part in preparatory exercises before sailing to Spithead early in June. She crossed the channel on 5 June and took up position off Ouistreham to bombard targets in support of Allied landing forces in the Queen Sector of Sword Beach. On 7 June she was assigned to patrol the Eastern Task Force area following the loss of her sister ship, the Norwegian Svenner to German T-boats. On 9 June she was detached with Scourge to reinforce the O-class destroyer flotilla against the threat posed by the German heavy destroyers from Brest. She spent the rest of June, July and August on patrol in the English Channel protecting convoys from E-boats. Scorpion returned to escorting the Arctic convoys in September 1944, screening the battleship Rodney in support of Convoy JW 60 and then Convoy RA 60. In October she was diverted to support Operation Lycidas, screening two escort carriers, Fencer and Trumpeter, as they carried out aerial minelaying around the Norwegian coast. In November, sailing with Savage, she carried Norwegian troops to the Kola Inlet (Operation Freeman), their role being to join Red Army as it pushed the Germans away from Murmansk back into Norway, lending authority to the Norwegian Government in exile. She then joined the escort for Convoy RA 60A on 11 November. Later in the month she supported two more operations with escort carriers off the Norwegian coast near Karmøy on 20 November (Operation Handfast) and then near Mosjøen on 27 November. She escorted Convoy JW 63 over the New Year period, her anti-aircraft gunners accidentally shooting at (and missing) two Wildcats which had been launched to intercept a German aircraft. She escorted four more Arctic convoys early in 1945, RA 63 in January, RA 64 in February, and JW 65 and RA 65 in March. She was also deployed to support three more operations in the North Sea in February, Operations Selenium, Shred and Groundsheet. She continued in service with the Home Fleet until VJ Day in August 1945 when she was placed in reserve. In October 1945, Scorpion was sold to the Dutch Navy and renamed Kortenaer, serving as a destroyer until 1957 when she was converted to a fast frigate. She was broken up in 1962. The Model Originally, this kit was to be released by the old White Ensign Models. Unfortunately they folded before this could take place, or should I say fortunately, as this and her sister kit have been taken up, like many of the old WEM kits, by Peter Hall at Atlantic Models. Issued under the WEM banner of Atlantic Models the kit arrived at BM’s London offices in the standard sturdy cardboard box. Inside the kit was smothered in poly chips, which provide the much need protection when in transit. Once the poly chips have been removed there are two zip-lock bags, one containing the resin parts, the majority of which in held in small zip-lock bags, whilst the other hold the holds the white metal parts and lengths of brass wire which are used to make the propeller shafts and the basis for the early style tripod mast, late main mast and yardarms. There is also a length of plastic rod which is used to make the depth charges from. As we have come to expect from Atlantic Models, the casting of the resin parts is exceptional, with no signs of imperfections, or bubbles, and only a small amount of flash which is very thin and easy to remove. I wish I knew how Peter does the masters, as there are parts that shouldn’t be doable with resin, such as the main section of the forward superstructure, which includes the chimney “sprouting” from the rear underside of the lower bridge wings. You will need to be careful of this when building, as, if you are as clumsy as I am when building, you will knock it off. There are quite a fe moulding points on the underside of each superstructure section, but, once again these shouldn’t take too long to remove and clean up. The hulls are where these kits really shine, and this is no exception, although when mated there does seem to be a slight undercut to the lower hull which will need to be filled and sanded to make the hull section smooth. If you are making the kit as a waterline, then you will not need to worry. The metal parts never seem to be quite as sharp as the resin, but that is the nature of the material, there are still well moulded, just a little fuzzy. Since you will need to clean most of them up, due to flash and material excess, you can give them a quick swipe with a sanding stick to sharpen them up. Construction begins with the assembly of the main gun turrets. The open turrets will need the gun opening to be cleaned out as they are flashed over out of the box, the metal guns can then be slid into position on their trunnions. The twin 40mm Bofors mount is also assembled at this point, and consists of a resin mounting and metal guns. To the Bofors mount the seven etched parts and a small section of 10thou plastic are attached. The twin 20mm Oerlikon mounts are next, each made from a metal mount and metal guns. Two Oerlikons are fitted to the superstructure mounted just aft of the funnel, this is also fitted out with a platform onto which the main searchlight is fitted along with the appropriate length of railing. The Bofors platform, fitted between the two torpedo tubes is fitted with the Bofors gun, two Carley racks and their floats. With the superstructure sections fitted to the hull the four main turrets can be glued into their respective positions. To the Bridge structure, the main director, director access platform, Type 285 Yagi aerial array, DF aerial, signal lamps and DCT Control tower are all attached, along with the bridge screen and optional bridge awning. The forward superstructure section is fitted with another pair of Oerlikons, lower wing support braces, two Carley float racks, plus floats. There is an option of early or late fits of foremast, the early is made up from the lengths of brass rod, etched braces and yardarms, which can be strengthened with more brass rod, and a white metal crows nest. The mast is usually free from top fittings, but can be fitted with the Type 291 aerial. The later mast is a lattice type, with the PE sections glued together and topped off with a platform with railings. The platform is fitted with a weather vane frame and the cheese slice style radar antenna. The yardarms are then attached, along with the topmast which can be fitted with either a Type 291 radar antenna or an MF/DF antenna. To the foreward end of the rear superstructure an optional single pole past or lattice mast with optional Type 291 or MF/DF antenna is fitted, along with a long length of vertical ladder stock. The Oerlikon platform is fitted with a small mast or wire antenna spreader, basically a length of brass wire with a PE yardarm. The funnel is fitted with a pair of platform braces/handrails, funnel cap and siren bracket, whilst the ships boat davits are folded to shape and attached to the ships boats, the cutter being fitted with the PE thwarts and gunwhales. Each of the depth charge throwers are made of PE and once folded to shape fitted with a length of plastic rod cut to size and fitted with PE end caps. More depth charges are need for the PE stowage racks and stern rails which are fitted with a TSDS gantry. With the superstructures glued to the decks, the two torpedo tubes can be attached, along with their respective cranes. Alternatively you can use the white metal parts for the throwers, with charges mounted and the the separate charges for the racks and stern rails. The ships railings can then be glued into position, along with the PE anchor cables and anchors. The two torpedo deck catwalks, each made from three PE parts are glued between the respective superstructure sections over the torpedo tubes. If you are building the model full hulled, the two lengths of brass wire used to make the propellers shafts are slid into the A frames and glued into position, followed by the propellers and finally, the rudder. Conclusion This has got be another winner from the hands of Peter Hall, the release of this and its sister ship, HMS Vigilant fills another gap in the maritime modellers wish list. The superb moulding and detailed parts, resin, metal and in particular the etched brass will go towards making a wonderful model of an important yet mostly forgotten class of destroyer. Very highly recommended Review sample courtesy of Peter Hall of

Started this way back in Nov 2014 for Perth Show this year and Lusty is finished.Only thing this is not a bad kit,and when it was released ,got a lot of bad press,which must have killed sales.Its not perfect,but there are worse kits then this. Link to build http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234971037-1350-hms-illustrious-airfixpe-waterline/

I,m building this out the box with extras ,that didn't last long ,started adding bits mostly round the bridge and the goal keeper at the stern needs ladders once I start on the hull ,probably will see other bits as I go along. Airfix Kit 1/350 HMS Illustrious WEM 1/350 Illustrious set WEM 1/350 doors and hatches P.E. WEM 1/350 Aircraft set P.E. WEM 1/350 upgrades resin Seakings Aerials from master Extra Aircraft from Airfix Decals from Hawk Graphics Display case I have started with the bridge first, the hull in the photos is just held together with tap.I hope to have finished for Perth show next year . YES Thats a 1/700 hull for size

Hi all, I intended getting this finished for a trip to Scotland last year to give to my father, but the trip never happened. However, I went up at the weekend and finished the ship in time and then we finished the whisky!! The bottle that started it all. I've noticed from the pics that there are a few things I should have spent more time on and will probably fix them the next time I head north. Also, between my Dad, Brother, Great Uncle Ronnie and myself, I now have an empty bottle!!! Cheerz all, Jockster

This is one ship I thought I would never build,An Airfix Leander 1/600,last one was 1974! Also as Airfix not producing this kit any more.They can still be found on E... and other sites,don't pay any more than £10! They do pop up regularly. ,Then along came 3D printing and HMS Leander now can look the part,I will get round to building more of the class in the future. The model was waterlined with added items from WEM and spares box .more details are on work in progress. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234963951-hms-leander-frigate-1600-airfix-ikara-upgrade/ There were 26 ships in the class,if you want to read more about the class here is a link,there is lots to read. http://en.wikipedia....r-class_frigate Now on to to shapeways this is link to this site for the upgrades for 1/600 https://www.shapeway...shops/bogeysbit

History. Laid down in late 1935, the Richelieu-class fast battleships were essentially scaled up versions of the Dunkerque-class and retained the arrangement of the entire main battery placed in the forward position in two quadruple turrets. The ships were designed as a planned class of four in response to the the Italian Littorio-class, were well protected and could make around 30 knots. Richelieu and Jean Bart were completed during WWII and participated under both Vichy and Allied control; Clemenceau was never completed; Gascogne was cancelled before being laid down. The kit. The Model is by Trumpeter and is based on the 1943 configuration. The brass railing is a mixture of White Ensign Models' 1/700 rails and ladders set, plus some leftover parts from some Dragon kits. Although the painting instructions show the wooden deck as being painted dark grey I decided to go with a more natural look. Unfortunately at the time I couldn't find an after-market wooden deck that would have improved the appearance of the model. Thanks for looking; as always any comment or questions are most welcome. Regards, Ross.

HMS Hermes served with the Royal Navy from 1959 to 1984 and still is in service with the India Navy as INS Viraat . Another great kit from Orange hobby,this kit is so good, only need to add some railings to the walkways around the funnel.It comes with a excellent P.E. set and all of it gets used, good decals,you only get 2 SeaHarriers and 2 Seakings,but can buy extras ones and Harriers come with a tug and tow bar ,I also added a Wessex, RAF Harriers and a Chinook from John (BFM).Vehicles from WEM again resin. The Escort HMS Battleaxe a Type 22 Batch 1 Frigate from White Ensign models,needed a lot a work to bring it up to Hermes standard.Last thing,not sure about having the blades look like they are moving on the Chinook,time will tell.Both kits are resin models.The figures are all Eduard. Build for HMS Hermes http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234958877-1700-hms-hermes-1982-orangehobby-resinpe/ Build for HMS Battleaxe http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234943484-hms-battleaxe-type-22-1700-wem-resin-kit/ Enjoy

Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat BuNo 5093, Lt. Cdr. John S. Thatch, Officer Commanding VF-3, USS Yorktown, Midway, 1942-06-04 Kit: 1/72 Hasegawa F4F-4 Wildcat Afermarket parts: True Details #72455 resin cockpit and wheel well detail set Squadron #9105 vacu canopy Decals: Aeromaster #72-093C F4F-4 Wildcat Aces Pt.1 The following improvements made to this kit were: Inner surfaces of wing halves and rear fuselage halves (rudder) were thinned down to obtain sharp trailing edges. Some panel lines were filled and some added according to reference photos. In addition, the overlapping panels (for example, on the rudder) were represented using thin metal foil. The cockpit was replaced by the True Details resin parts. The canopy was replaced by the Squadron vacu formed item. Since the Squadron canopy is designed to fit the Academy kit, some adjustment work was required for mounting it on the model. The canopy replacement forced widening the fairing above the control panel in the cockpit, which have originally had rather wide margins for placing the thicker kit canopy. This fairing was also thinned down for correct scale representation. The most serious flaw with this kit is just an empty space where the landing gear bay should be. This problem is partially solved by inserting the True Details tub, however some extra work was still required. For instance, the recesses to accommodate the main wheel are just repeated in full size on the resin tub and, since it is designed to fit the kit fuselage having rather thick plastic, these recesses turned out to be much deeper than they should be. Some filling and re-scribing was required to fix this problem. Some additional detail was also added to the rear bulkhead and to the engine compartment interior partially visible in front of the wheel bay. In addition, the fuselage walls around the front of the wheel bay were partially thinned down for the correct skin representation. The air intakes in the forward engine cowling ring were deepened and thinned down to scale. Some detail was added to the rather basic kit parts for the reasonable representation of the Wildcat’s complicated landing gear. The aileron, elevator and rudder hinges molded as solid pieces were improved by cutting out their inner areas. The missing central elements were also added to the fairings covering the hinges of the landing flaps. Too shallow kit exhaust stacks were replaced by scratch built parts and the fuselage panel around them was also somewhat refined by making extra steps, holes etc. A new rounded propeller hub and the visible part of the arrester hook were made from scratch. A larger pneumatic tail wheel provided with the kit was replaced by the solid smaller one which is correct for this particular a/c. The replacement wheel was the part left unused after building the F2A-2 kit as a Dutch Brewster Model 339C. Some further minor improvements made on the model can clearly be seen on the photos.

Hello, has anyone used this set? Would you recommend it? I'm tempted by it, but the price tag is putting me off. thanks, Andrew

Been off but not out - here's my take on Airfix's pretty good kit of the Type 45. Used WEM PE set (very good value), Veteran Models CIWS and Harpoon launchers plus all the usual tweaks! Finished in WEM Light Weatherwork Grey and Modern Royal Navy Deck Grey (which is slightly green to my eye, but hey!) All pics courtesy of Farnborough IPMS website (Dr Flangemeister!) Really nice kit, nice decals, and this came out nicer than I expected. The only glaring miss for me was the four spines on the top of the SAMPSON dome. I also didn't reposition the starboard anchor which didn't particularly bother me. This has now been donated to a Royal Navy officer for eventual display in the ship's wardroom once the base has been tidied up! Something I'm quite proud of! Al

Mogami Class Cruisers White Ensign Models 1:350 It’s been quite a while since Tamiya released their three Mogami class cruisers and until now there hasn’t been a sniff of a detail set for any of them which is a bit odd since they aren’t perfect and really needed someone to bite the bullet to produce some nice etch for them. Well White Ensign Models have done just that, and have released this big set of etched parts which covers all three versions, Mikuma light cruiser, Mogami heavy cruiser and Mogami aircraft carrying cruiser. The set comprises of two large sheets of relief etched wonderment. Each sheet measures 290mm x 143mm and arrives in a very sturdy, reinforced envelope. Sheet 1 is mostly taken up with the ships railings. The modeller will need to ensure they use the correct ones depending on which version of the Mogami they are building as each one requires different parts. This includes the gun turrets, the Mikuma having triple 6” turrets and both the Mogami kits have twin 8” turrets. The triple turrets are fitted out with turret top railings, vertical ladders to the sides, sliding access doors to the rear and on the front four blast bag elevation rails. Moving on to the secondary and tertiary armament the twin 12.7cm mounts get new loading platforms with built in railings and ladders. The triple and twin 25mm AA gun mounts are finished off with new side details and gun layers seats and foot rests. Twin 13mm mounts are provided as complete etched assemblies with the barrels, mount, with gunners seat and mounting plate. Away from the armament replacement Type 21 Go Dentan radars, which are so much finer than the kit items are assembled using only the kit radars antenna base which needs to be cut down. The distinctive aerial masts and spreaders, which are surprisingly missing from the kits, are folded and assembled, again dependent on which Mogami is being built. Smaller items on the sheet include inclined ladders, boat/supply davits, forward and aft funnel caps and grilles, DF antenna mast, rope walks for the late Mogami foremast yardarms and finally the myriad of hand and foot rails for the two funnels. Sheet 2 have the new parts for the 8” turrets these include a set of detailed panelled sides and rear giving them their heavily riveted look. The fronts of the turrets also get new sighting windows with optional parts for open or closed windows. To the rear a sliding door and ladder are fitted. Something that is common to all versions are the catapults and this sheet provides optional model 3 or model 5 catapults to be used as required, with their associated turntables and supports. The flightdeck of the aircraft carrying version is given new turntables with rails. Each ship has three distinctive searchlight towers which are quite blocky in the kits and are replaced by fine etch etched towers and railings. The midships catwalk assemblies are also replaced with new items off this sheet. There are also numerous items such as ships boats cradles, thwarts, oars, rudders, for the rowing boats and masts, railings, propeller and windscreen for the motorboats, accommodation ladders, life buoy racks and more davits. The Nakajima E8N2 Dave, Kawanishi E7K2 Alf, Mitsubishi F1M2 Pete, and Aichi E13A1 Jake aircraft receive new wing and float struts, and propellers. There is a very nice ships crane jib, but unfortunately no hook or cabling, but this isn’t really a problem as the kits etch provides them. Lastly there is a full length of degaussing cables for the ships hulls with a couple of line drawings to show their positioning. Conclusion This is a very welcome set from White Ensign Models and whilst it’s been a long time waiting it certainly has been worth it. The fact that no matter what class or mod state of model you have this set will be the making of the model. I reckon there are enough parts to do at least one and half ships, if you’re happy to have one that is slightly less detailed, even though you will have ot buy some more railings to finish the second ship off. Very highly recommended. Review sample kindly provided be John at

Type 23 Frigate 1:350 Etch Set To coincide with the release of the Trumpeter Type 23’s, HMS Kent, Montrose, and Westminster, White Ensign Models have released this etch set. Although looking like it was originally designed for their Type 23 model, this set has been modified to fit the Trumpeter kit with the inclusion of some additional parts. Several parts of the kit will need to be modified with the removal of plastic to allow the use of the etched parts. The single sheet measures 262mm x 107mm and contains over one hundred parts. Aside from a full complement of ships railings, each shaped and sized to fit their specific positions, although some will need to be shaped to fit, there are also a full set of flightdeck netting which can be positioned folded or upright. Once the moulded plastic frames have been removed, the Harpoon launchers can be attached to the previously folded etched parts. In addition to these there is a new set of blast shields to be built up. The fore and aft 911 fire control radars get a new platform surround whilst the foretopmast receives a new top lattice and platform assembly, yardarms, aerial supports and wire aerial spreader, and the 996 radar is fitted with a new antenna plate. The centre section of the superstructure is fitted with new extension supports, gun platform netting, ships class crowns and small gaff, part number 43, not 41 as per the written instructions. The main mast also has three multipart yardarms, associated aerials and large gaff. Moving aft, the superstructure is fitted with a new vertical/guarded ladder, liferaft supports, flightdeck lighting assembly, new hanger roller door. The flightdeck is fitted with the helicopter harpoon flightdeck grid and the netting mentioned above. With the ship covered there’s still the helicopter to be suitably detailed. For this there is a new main rotor and tail rotor for the spread condition whilst for the folded condition the tail needs to be removed at the fold joint and the exposed bulkhead added. The etched main rotor needs to be modified by cutting carefully at the root of the blades which are then folded aft. The four blade support poles can then be attached to the fuselage and the blades fitted to their respective slots. Conclusion This set is exactly what we have come to expect from White Ensign Models. Comprehensive, detailed and delicate, just what the trumpeter kit needs to bring out the best in a build. As usual, care and patience are the order of the day when using etched brass, but it’ll be worth it. Recommended https://www.whiteensignmodels.com/p/WEM+1350+Type+23+Frigate+Trumpeter+PE+35167/15946/'> Review sample kindly provided be John at

Hi, I built HMS Norfolk (F230) Type 23 Frigate Royal Navy from WEM (1/700 scale resin model) about 6 years ago and now that I resuming building 1/700 model warships, I noticed that the hull looks like a "banana" shape. Any suggestions to fix this problem? Thanks in advance. Regards, Ayala Botto Facebook: "Ayala Botto Model Trains" http://www.facebook....100140160133220

Round Table Class Trawler 1:700 White Ensign Models The Round Table class was the name given to a group of eight armed trawlers built by Aberdeen based shipbuilders J. Lewis and Sons and Hall, Russell and Co. The ships of the class, in order of launch date, were Sir Agravaine (T230), Sir Galahad (T226), Sir Gareth (T227), Sir Geraint (T240), Sir Kay (T241), Sir Lamorack (T242), Sir Lancelot (T228) and Sir Tristram (T229). The ships were all commissioned as minesweepers, but two were converted to danlayers, designed to lay buoys (dans) in order to mark the safe channels cleared by minesweepers. Each vessel displaced 440 tons and measured 135 feet in length. They had a complement of 35 and were armed with a single 12 pounder anti-aircraft gun, a 20mm anti-aircraft gun and a pair of anti-aircraft machine guns. Minesweeper equipment was comprised of a bow mounted acoustic hammer of the type also found of the slightly smaller class of MMS Motor Minesweepers. This White Ensign Models product arrives carefully packed into a sturdy white corrugated cardboard box, with the parts safely ensconced in bubble wrap and packing foam. The kit is comprised of a one-piece hull with most of the superstructure and deck details cast in place, a second casting block with all of the smaller resin parts attached, and a small fret of photo etched brass details. Unlike other 1:700 scale WEM kits, this ship has been cast in full hull rather than waterline configuration. According to WEM, this is because these ships were, unsurprisingly, prone to rolling in any kind of seaway, which would result in them showing a lot of their lower hulls. It won’t take long to sand off the desired amount of hull if you want to though. The hull is a superbly detailed piece of casting, easily the equal of anything I have seen from other resin producers. Fine details such as portholes, ventilation cowls and the mounts for the larger anti-aircraft weapons are all beautifully rendered. It really does have to be seen to be appreciated. The smaller resin details include the bridge, the signals platform, the single, angled funnel, the lifeboat, the whaler and other small parts such as the searchlight. All of the parts will need to be cleaned up to some degree in order to remove traces of the casting block attachment points or flash. The final details are provided by way of photo etched brass parts. The fret includes the parts for the 12 Pounder gun and the 20mm anti-aircraft gun, including the armoured shields for both. Also on the fret are the two wheelhouse machine guns, railings for the bow and the gun deck, rigging, rudder and propeller. Brass rods are provided for the masts, and precise dimensions for these parts are given in the instructions. The instructions are very easy to follow and include large, clear orthographic and axonometric drawings. A full colour profile is included as well, which will certainly help with the painting stage. Conclusion With this model, WEM have provided us with an unusual but fascinating subject from the wartime inventory of the Royal Navy. It goes without saying that it is an extremely small model, but despite its diminutive style, it isn’t lacking in detail and it should prove to be a rewarding build. A degree of patience (and a steady hand) will be needed in order to deal some of the smaller and more delicate parts, but the end result should be well worth it. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of John at

HMS Coventry 1941 1:700 White Ensign Models The C Class was a group of Royal Navy light cruisers developed from the preceding Arethusa class and designed to withstand the rough conditions of the North Sea. In total, twenty eight vessels were commissioned, divided into seven sub-classes. The Ceres sub-class was the penultimate group and was comprised of five ships. HMS Coventry was the third of the Ceres ships. She was laid down on 4 August 1916 at the famous Swan Hunter shipyard on the Tyne. She was launched in July 1917 and completed seven months later in February 1918. She joined the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron based in Harwich and served in the Baltic until after the end of the war. Placed in reserve in the mid-1930s, HMS Coventry was then reactivated and extensively rebuilt as an anti-aircraft cruiser. Her original armament of five 6-inch guns and two 3-inch guns were removed and replaced by ten single 4-inch Mk.V anti-aircraft guns and a pair of eight-barred 2-pounder ‘Pom-Poms’ Following this extensive conversion, HMS Coventry joined the Home Fleet. Following the outbreak of war, Coventry served in the Mediterranean for a brief period, before taking part in the Norwegian Campaign the following year. In the Summer of 1940 she was back in the Mediterranean, this time joining Force H at Alexandria. For the rest of the year, she undertook escort duty for the Malta convoys. At the end of that year she was hit by a torpedo fired by the Italian submarine Neghelli. Following repair and return to service, she rejoined the Malta convoys in 1942. She also participated in the evacuation of Greece and Crete, and in the Syrian campaign. Her luck finally abandoned her in September 1942 when, badly damaged by Stuka dive bombers, she had to be evacuated and scuttled by the destroyer HMS Zulu. A ripple of excitement greeted the announcement of this kit by White Ensign Models, and rightly so. British cruisers are not exactly over-represented in either 1:700 or 1:350 scale, particularly the anti-aircraft variety. The model arrives packed into a very sturdy corrugated cardboard box, with a colour profile of the subject printed on the lid. If you’ve ever bought a White Ensign Models product, you’ll know that they are usually extremely well-packed. This is essential when dealing with potentially fragile materials such as resin and photo-etched brass, and this kit is no exception. The component parts are individually packed in bubble wrap, and the photo etch parts and brass rods, from which the masts are to be constructed, are packed into re-sealable plastic pouches. The elegant, rakish hull is cast as a single piece of resin. The forward, middle and aft superstructures are also cast as individual pieces, along with the signal platform. There is relatively little cleaning up to do prior to assembly, so if you wanted to you could assemble the basic structure of the kit in a matter of minutes. The quality of casting is pretty good, although there are a number of tiny cavities left by bubbles that will need to be filled. An hour or so invested in hunting these down and dealing with them before you start building the model in earnest will be time well spent. The rendition of fine details such as the deck planking, doors and port holes is really rather excellent. Apart from the hull and superstructures, other parts cast in resin include the twin funnels, the box-like radar office, the chart house and compass platform, the foremast platform, the HACs directors, and range finders. Other, somewhat smaller details cast in resin include the all-important Quick Firing 4-inch Mk.V guns and the ship’s boats, comprised of a 25-foot fast motor boat, a 32-foot cutter and a pair of 27-foot whalers. In actual fact, the fast motor boat provided on the casting block with the rest of the boats isn’t used for this model. It must be replaced with an alternative motor boat, which is bagged separately and clearly identified for the purpose. The remaining fine details are represented by photo etched brass parts. Usually photo etch brass is seen as an aftermarket accessory, but with White Ensign Models products, they are an integral part of the kit itself. The comprehensive fret includes a full set of railings, ladders and stairways, splinter shields, the foc’sle breakwater, details for the masts, the type 279 Radar antenna and funnel cap grilles. Also included are the davits for the boats, thwarts and oars and rudders for the whalers, cradles for the motor boats and anchors and anchor chains. The Pom-Poms and 0.5-inch quad machine gun mounts are also depicted in photo etched brass rather than resin. Lengths of brass rod are included for the masts. Although you have to cut the rods to length yourself, they will provide a strength that simply wouldn’t be possible with resin or even injection moulded plastic. The painting diagram is printed in colour. The images are a little dark, however, so I would advise studying them closely before you start painting. Two schemes are provided. The first shows HMS Coventry as she appeared in 1940, finished in AP 507B with a false bow wave painted in white. The second scheme shows the ship in 1941, finished in a disruptive scheme of AP 507A and AP 507C. The painting guides also show the basic arrangement of the rigging, albeit only from a horizontal perspective. You’ll need to find your own references if you want a more comprehensive picture of the rigging, which is a bit frustrating. Conclusion This is an accurate, comprehensive and nicely detailed kit of an interesting ship. As a light cruiser, she’s surprisingly small, even in 1:700 scale. Nevertheless this will make an valuable addition to any collection of Royal Navy model warships, and it will make a nice change from the usual battleships and destroyers which tend to find their way into the catalogues of the major manufacturers from time to time. You will need to take your time when building the kit, particularly with the delicate photo etched parts, but I’m sure your patience will be rewarded with an excellent model. Recommended.

This week I got a copy of White Ensigns new 1:700 HMS Coventry - the plan being to convert her to sister ship HMS Curlew as my grandfather was gunnery officer aboard her when sunk off Norway in 1940. White ensigns Coventry portrays the ship after conversion to anti-aircraft cruiser in the late thirties (converted alongside Curlew). Have been asked if I'd post some pix - so here they are. Casting quality is excellent - with only a little cleanup being required. The hull is a lovely single piece casting with some beautiful detail - only marred by a few tiny pin-holes on one part of the deck and some of the tiny detail broken in places - very easily fixed. The instructions look good - although I'm going to have to try and find some refs for Curlew in 1940 - if anyone knows any of the changes required to convert Coventry to Curlew I'd love to hear - am already aware that I need an extra pair of 4" guns. My first resin ship kit - and my first in 1:700 - all a little scary - but we'll see what we can do! Iain

Airfix Mark 3 wings added to the 'new' Revell fuselage. Additional parts from the WEM exterior and interior sets - including the extensive bomb bay. RG527 - KN Q 77 Squadron 1945. Let me know what you think!! Thanks http://i1260.photobu...Sept2012018.jpg http://i1260.photobu...Sept2012016.jpg http://i1260.photobu...atthews/001.jpg http://i1260.photobu...ws/003-Copy.jpg